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Decorating Your
Outdoor Space
By:
Melissa Fresard
Remember when choosing outdoor
furnishings used to be a simple task? A couple of resin
chairs, a picnic table, and you were done! That was when a
yard was a yard, and a deck was a deck. Here are some great
tips on how to create an outdoor family oasis. Outside
spaces are extensions of our homes-places to retreat and
relax, play and entertain. With today's increased emphasis
on comfort and relaxation, celebrating the home during the
warm weather months can easily be achieved by creating
outdoor living areas where outdoor charm is explored.
Today's homeowners are
cultivating a new level of comfort. They don't just want to
furnish their outdoor living spaces; they want to decorate
it to reflect personal style and taste. But how can you
create the equivalent of the family "great room" in open
air?
Good design sense should not
shut off when you step outdoors. So don't be shy, spruce up
your outdoor spaces!
Curtains will dress up any lanai
area. With a gamut of choices in outdoor, weather-resistant
fabrics, the selection should be painless. Hang your
outdoor treatments on wire and screw eyes. You should avoid
wood altogether. Wood is sure to warp and mildew almost
immediately in our harsh Florida summers.
Designers use floor coverings to
give definition to cozy seating areas. The same trick works
outdoors on a lanai, porch, patio or deck. Use an outdoor
area rug or paint one on the floor to create a visual anchor
for furniture.
Use your dollar wisely and
invest in furnishings that will withstand the area's largest
enemy to outdoor furnishings, humidity. This used to be the
entire reason why designers and homeowners would shy away
from décor outdoors.
Clustering your seating in
conversation groupings encourages warmth and intimacy.
Outdoor kitchens and fireplaces
create a wonderful place for family to gather and can
quickly become the new heart and hearth of the home.
Technology has allowed us the creation of a truly innovative
television. Meant for permanent outdoor installation, these
televisions can be drenched by rain.
And, as always, please don't
forget about lighting. Lighting is vital to any living
space. There are lighting products on the market today that
can withstand getting wet.
With an array of options on the
market, which could work with any budget, it should be
effortless to find something that is easily maintained and
suits your fancy. Remember, these spaces are becoming part
of our day-to-day living and there is no holding back!
For all your Interior Decorating
or Professional Organizational needs, please contact Melissa
Fresard, Owner of A.L.M. Designs & Decorating at
941-276-1969.
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